TO PRESERVE CRAB APPLES, GREEN
Wash the apples and boil them in a very little water, cover them with vine leaves, while on the fire simmering, and they will then be very yellow. Take them out and spread them on a large dish to cool. Pare and core them, put them back in the kettle, with fresh leaves to cover them. Hang them over the fire, or on the stove in a preserving kettle until they are green; then take them out of the pot, let them cool, weigh them, and allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit. Put only water sufficient to dissolve the sugar, as the fruit, having been already boiled, will require very little water—a small cupful to each pound being quite enough. Boil this syrup, skim it, and put in your green apples, and boil them until they are clear and tender. Put the apples in jars, turn the juice on to them, and when cold tie them up, or rather seal them in this Southern climate.
PEACH OR APPLE COMPOTE, FOR DESSERT
Dissolve and boil a pound of loaf sugar in a pint of water; skim it, pare six or eight apples, or a dozen peaches, throw them into the boiling syrup, and cook until tender and transparent. Lemon improves the apples, but peaches are better without it.
PRESERVED HUCKLEBERRIES
Take them just as they begin to ripen, pick and weigh them, allow a pound of fruit to a pound of sugar, then stew them until quite clear, and the syrup becomes thick. These make nice tarts when fruit is scarce.
PLUM PRESERVES
Get plums before they are dead ripe; allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, dissolve and boil the sugar and water (allowing half a pint of water to a pound). Boil the syrup until it is thick, then put in the plums and boil them until they are transparent; then put them in sealed jars.
FIG PRESERVES
Boil the sugar and water syrup as directed in previous recipe. Let the figs be firm, not dead ripe or they will boil to a mass. They should be laid in alum the day before they are to be preserved, then taken out, washed, and put into the boiling syrup. Boil for three hours, or until transparent; then bottle as usual and seal up with wax.